the Montreal Improv blog

improvnonsense:

This is a bad-ass, interesting, articulate interview with someone who made maybe the coolest comedy theater in the history of three dimensional space. 

Good stuff.

- vinny

How can anyone disagree with Patti Stiles’ take on things?

- vinny

(via the ever-diligent servant of improv, Ian Parizot)

improvisorsimprovisor:

I’m sorry that dating scenes and looking for apartment scenes are feeling tired for you. But the problem doesn’t inherently lie within the situation; it lies in what the royal you are bringing to that situation.

I recently did some scenes in practice where the coach asked us to identify common scenes we’ve seen. Not only common situations, but also the common ways those are played. For example, a couple on a date scene seems to always involve one person not being like their Match.com profile at all.

So after identifying these common tropes, we then set out to consciously defy expectation. Among those scenes, we played a loud cavalier drug deal and a date where people exactly resembled their Match profile to positive results. These scenes were refreshing to watch and fun to play. Why?

Because it’s never the context. It’s not so much that a dating scene is boring, dating is just a context; it’s that we’re doing the same thing over and over within that context. Instead, bring fresh eyes and fresh energy to each improv scene. Allow yourself to make a fun choice, and allow yourself to be surprised. You’d be amazed at the infinity of dating scenes you can watch once you do that.

I get what you’re saying and agree with you 100% from a performing POV. It’s great advice for people who’ve been playing for a while.

I was talking about from a teaching POV, though, and some days when you’re a tired teacher looking for a quick scenario to start two students on, you reach for your go-to setups (in my case, interviews and apartments). The reason they are my go-to is because they are specific, familiar and universal while retaining an infinite variety of possibility within.

(Aside: the blind date, as you mention, is another common choice but I consciously avoid it with beginners because I prefer to neutralize the sexual direction it can take with between strangers/nervous people. Just a personal preference to ease people into this strange world.)

So while each scene from the same starting point goes in its own direction and has its own unique teaching points, as a teacher, some days all it takes to keep things fresh for me is a scene in a nursing home or a father-daughter dance.

- vinny

Yup. Guilty of some of these.

- vinny